THE PEPPAS: RETURN TO NYC

In a tradition as old as…well, four years, the VCU Pep Band treated the citizens of New York to the library of tunes we get to hear every game.

THE PEPPAS IN TIMES SQUARE

The VCU Pep Band keeps finding ways to one-up itself. This year, the Rams crashed Times Square. As usual, The Peppas drew a big crowd.

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MAY CARSON DALY DREAM OF THE VCU PEPPAS FOR YEARS TO COME

Today’s format was a little different than the last two years, but the Peppas and the VCU spirit squads made what has become an annual appearance on the Today Show this morning. VCU superfan Chris Crowley also got plenty of airtime this morning. Have a look:

ALSO…

Rodney vs. Spidurrr

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The Peppas rolling down the street

THE PEPPAS IN TIMES SQUARE

We had a great time with The Peppas, the Gold Rush Dancers and the VCU Cheer squads Thursday morning in Times Square. They sure know how to draw a crowd. Stay tuned to the blog for a video from today shortly. In the meantime, here’s a few shots from Thursday’s performance.

THAT TIME I LEARNED TO HAKA

Despite my deplorbable dance skills, earlier this week, the VCU Pep Band taught me how to do the Haka, despite their better judgement. Thanks to Ryan Kopacsi, Matt Alvarez, Brandon Hess, Allyson Topping, Chris Harding and Kayen Wilborn for the help.

LEAN, MEAN BRASS-PLAYING MACHINES

Did you wake up this morning and wonder what the baddest band in the land, the VCU Peppas, were up to lately? Yeah, me too.

Well, while we’ve been attached to our sofas, watching one of the seven NCIS programs on TV, plowing through bags of Cheetos, The Peppas have been training like Rocky Balboa. Sidebar: I hope they trained with “Hearts on Fire” playing in the background. Anyway, The Peppas will be taking over the Earth soon.

THE PEPPAS: ALL ABOUT THAT HAKA

Hanover native Kayen Wilborn leads The Peppas through a traditional Maori haka Sunday at the Black and Gold Scrimmage.

The VCU Basketball season hasn’t even started yet, but the school’s pep band, The Peppas, appear to be in midseason form.

Over the years, the band has used any number of tactics to distract opponents and whip VCU fans into a frenzied state, from riding (and playing) around Manhattan on a double-decker bus, to ripping through a non-traditional set list with unusual flair.

On Sunday, Oct. 26 at the annual VCU Basketball Black and Gold Scrimmage, The Peppas raised the bar with a thunderous rendition of a traditional New Zealand Maori haka. As of this writing, a video of the performance had caught the eye of several national media outlets and had been viewed nearly 23,000 times on YouTube. For a photo gallery of the performance, check out VCUSports.com.

The first haka, Ka Mate, Ka Mate, was composed in the late 19th century by Te Rauparaha, a chief of the Ngāti Toa Rangatira tribe. Hakas were originally performed by the Maori people in preparation for a challenge or battle, but in recent years it has been used at welcome celebrations, before athletic contests and a variety of other special events. New Zealand athletic teams popularized the performance of hakas prior to sporting events shortly after its introduction into the culture. New Zealand’s “All Blacks” rugby team has been the most visible of these, and the country’s national basketball team nabbed headlines this past summer for their performance during the FIBA World Championships.

According to VCU Pep Band Director Ryan Kopacsi, The Peppas will be performing a war haka called Peruperu (a dance with weapons), which is marked by fierce facial expressions and percussive movements, and has been used throughout its history to intimidate the opposition. It is considered a bad omen if a haka is not performed in unison.

“I was searching for intense things for us to do a few years ago and I was watching tons of videos. I was writing down ideas. Someone sent me a video of the All Blacks doing it. I was floored and couldn’t stop watching video after video. From there it was all about right place right time. The right place is here and the right time is now,” Kopacsi said earlier this week via email.

Also, according to the Haka Ka Mate Attribution Bill, passed the New Zealand’s Parliament in 2014, Kopacsi asked to include the following statement:

Te Rauparaha was the composer of Ka Mate and a chief of Ngāti Toa Rangatira. We accept the honor to perform this declaration.

In case you missed it, or if you just wanted to watch again, here’s Sunday’s performance:

 

SHAKA AND HAKA; PEPPAS BREAK OUT NEW ZEALAND WAR DANCE

H/T to John Tatum.

The Peppas are already on their game. At Sunday’s Black and Gold Scrimmage, they broke out the New Zealand Haka dance. I’m sure other videos will emerge later in the year, but this can be your first look.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS…SAN DIEGO

I’m not going to lie, I enjoy that The Peppas just cruise around town in their Partridge Family bus, looking to get a game, seeking about bands to battle. Who wants to barnstorm across America with me, Rodney and The Peppas?

MORE VIDEO: PEPPAS IN SAN DIEGO

This band does not sleep. By the end of the season, people will be (hopefully) humming the “War” song all the way from Brooklyn, to Omaha to Salt Lake and San Diego.